The third and final phase of the Chhattisgarh panchayat elections recorded a 77.54% voter turnout on Sunday, an election official said. However, this figure is provisional and may increase as votes from some polling booths are still being counted.
The elections, conducted using ballot papers, were mostly peaceful, the official added. In Bastar division, which includes seven districts, voting took place between 6:45 am to 2 pm due to the Naxal threat, while in other areas, polling was held from 7 am to 3 pm.
To ensure security, a helicopter was used to transport polling staff for six booths in Sukma and two in Narayanpur, both located in the Naxal-affected Bastar region.
Chief Minister and family cast their votes
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai cast his vote at a polling booth in his native village Bagia in Jashpur district, along with his mother, wife, and other family members.
The CM waited in line for his turn and later expressed confidence in the BJP’s victory, stating that the party had fulfilled its promises, just as it did in the urban body elections and the first two phases of the panchayat polls.
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Candidates and Voting Statistics
The panchayat elections in Chhattisgarh are held at three levels:
- Gram Panchayat (Village)
- Janpad Panchayat (Block)
- Zila Panchayat (District)
These elections are not conducted on party lines.
In the third phase, a total of 53,28,371 voters participated, including 26,37,306 men, 26,91,000 women, and 65 third-gender voters. Voters elected:
- 30,990 ward panchs
- 3,802 sarpanchs
- 1,122 Janpad Panchayat members
- 145 Zila Panchayat members
For this phase, 11,430 polling stations were set up across 50 development blocks, and a total of 99,888 candidates contested for various posts.
Previous phases and turnout
First phase (Feb 17):
- 81.38% turnout
- Elected: 27,210 ward panchs, 3,605 sarpanchs, 911 Janpad members, and 149 Zila Panchayat members.
Second phase (Feb 20):
81.22% turnout
Elected: 26,988 ward panchs, 3,774 sarpanchs, 899 Janpad members, and 138 Zila Panchayat members.
Election results and upcoming announcements
- Results for the first phase were announced on February 19.
- Results for the second phase were declared on February 24.
- Third-phase results will be announced on February 25.
- Zila Panchayat results for the first and second phases were announced on February 20 and 24, respectively.
Overall Election Overview
The three-phase election process is being conducted to elect:
- 433 Zila Panchayat members
- 2,973 Janpad Panchayat members
- 11,671 village Sarpanchs
- 1,60,161 Panchs
So far, 74,310 Panchs, 448 Sarpanchs, 41 Janpad members, and one Zila Panchayat member have been elected unopposed.
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